Hello everyone
Hello everyone. Tomorrow, Wednesday, October 21st will be a very important day in Irish history in relation to our neutrality. Tomorrow, the government intend to bring forward the second stage, the defense amendment bill. This is the bill that they claim is to reform the triple lock. That's a key component of Irish neutrality. And this will in essence abolish the triple lock. So, it will be the death knell to Irish neutrality. Now, last week I covered this in a video around.
Helen McEntee and her visit to Luxembourg as Irish Foreign Affairs and Defense Minister. And in that meeting, she made remarks that she hopes to bring forward this bill to have it passed by Christmas. So, here we go. There's you on the job of the European Union in terms of the drive towards militarism. This has been a key component of Irish neutrality since 1960. And the first bill of this defense, first stage rather of the defense amendment bill passed.
Back on the 16th of June. As I said, this will be fast-tracked through the Dáil Éireann tomorrow with just 3 and 1/2 hours of debate. Now, it's going to be pushed on onto committee stage for any amendments before it comes back before the house again and before it goes before the Seanad before the it goes before the president then. And let's see what happens if that pushes through over the next number of weeks. And the triple lock, as I said, is a key.
Component of Irish neutrality has been since 1960 in the context of Irish legislation. And this would allow the UN mandate, for instance, in terms of deploying more than 12 members of the Irish Defense Forces followed by government approval approval and a Dáil resolution. Now, under the intended legislation, there is no dollar resolution going to be essentially looked for for deployment of 50 or less members of the Defense Forces. And their intention is to trying to claim that this is about peacekeeping.
Because the UNIFIL mission to Lebanon, which Ireland has been an active participant in since 1978, is due to finish in the next number of months. And the intention of the European Union civil and military mission or so-called force with tax emission will take its place. Now, this is really interesting because this is supposed to stabilize Lebanon. And we all know what's been going on in that region for many, many years. Involving Irish troops essentially in a.
Civil war between the Lebanese Armed Forces, Israel, and
Civil war between the Lebanese Armed Forces, Israel, and Hezbollah. And we see and we know all about the greater Israeli project. And we know about the European Union pushing Israel at every turn. Now, this is really dangerous times for any members of the Defense Forces going on overseas missions. And at the same time, we've seen the Association of Commission Officers today putting forward a motion to say there has to be more missions for members of the Defense Forces because.
Many use it as essentially an income stream because they're so underpaid and poor conditions in the Irish Defense Forces to save for homes. And they're looking for more missions so they can actually get extra funds or extra allowances in terms of saving for housing. This is absolutely outrageous when you consider what's really taking place in our society and the drive towards war on the continent of Europe. Now, Ireland in the Constitution states that we should be.
Seeking peaceful settlements for international disputes. And particularly being a colonized country, we should stand with no imperial power, whoever they are. I will stand beside and stand on the side of neutrality. I'm not being the side of any belligerents, but we've seen the carrot approach with the Irish government for instance over the past number of years speaking about neutrality, but at the same time acting completely differently. European Union battle groups, PESCO, the use of Shannon Airport as a military air.
“And particularly being a colonized country, we should stand with no imperial power, whoever they are”
Base for the United States, and we see many NATO uh warship incursions into Ireland. And we won't mention the occupied six counties in the north of our country as well in terms of what's happened in that uh jurisdiction. We all know. But at the same time, we've seen more and more money being spent on militarism at over $3 trillion last year. And 55% of that was on NATO countries. And even Ireland itself has been lobbied by the Irish Security Defense.
Association, which is a sponsor essentially by Lockheed Martin around opening up the doors to an Irish arms industry. This comes at the same time as Simon Harris pushed forward the savings schemes. And part of the savings schemes is to support new startups. Yes, you guessed it, startups in the war industry. Absolutely barbaric what's taking place uh under the noses of ordinary people who aren't being informed about what's really taking place under these their noses essentially in Ireland.
And uh we see the drive towards war for
And uh we see the drive towards war for instance with Russia and in terms of the involvement of Ukraine being used as another meat grinder for instance for innocent people who will be sent to fight wars for who? For the values Micheál Martin deems worth defending. And remember, part of this program for governments was agreed upon by Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and the so-called independents, the Lowry lackey independents who agreed to reform the triple lock because they claim it's not.
Fit for purpose. Well, that's interesting because in so-called peacekeeping times and even with the United Nations, there is a General Assembly uh resolution which is called the Unity for Peace, which doesn't require the UN Security Council mandate. So, more lies being spilled by the establishment in terms of driving us towards war, and which is the same as people like Thomas Byrne, who's been getting up-eds in many business papers over the last number of days. He's the Minister for the.
International affairs. He's the sidekick to Micheál Martin, and uh he's just parroting what's being pushed on as well in terms of from the bureaucrats in Brussels and the warmongers as well. And remember, this is coming at the same time when the US told Europe to step up, and the European Union to step up and start investing more in {inverted commas} defense. So, to take over the further escalation in the war with Russia. Absolutely just lunacy to what's.
Taking place. This is the same time when more and more countries are cutting down on their basic social and public spending. To say there's no end of money for the arms industry in terms of ripping up the budgets and ripping up the so-called fiscal rule books. So, no money to solve homelessness, housing, the health chaos, um many more uh social and economic catastrophes here in Ireland and right across Europe, too. We see that imploding in terms of the.
Massive demonstrations and protests that are escalating right around Europe as I speak. But, plenty of money for Ukraine, plenty of money for the money laundering machine that is Ukraine. Uh rather than serving a stand-up for the interests of ordinary working people. So, war is a barbaric and inhumane, and it's only working class people who will suffer and die because of what's being intended by the Irish {inverted commas} government, which are essentially just branch managers headed by Micheál Martin.
For [snorts] the European Union and the warmongers
For [snorts] the European Union and the warmongers. And this is part of their bigger agenda despite what was voted on through the Nice II Treaty and the Seville Declaration. And this has always been the agenda through various treaties to drive us towards militarism and essentially, despite what they say about being neutral and all this nonsense, just this ala carte approach to what's actually taking place right in front of our eyes. So, hopefully more people wake up to what's taking place,.
Contact their representatives these as well. And if you want to listen to the so-called debate, but it's vitally important now that everybody should unite, ordinary working people, and say no, stand up for peace, stand up for neutrality, and stand up for getting our constitution invoked in terms of looking for the peaceful settlement of international disputes, and not siding with any belligerent in any imperial war. And if that doesn't serve the interests of ordinary working class people here in Ireland or anywhere. So,.
Thanks so much for the support of my videos in Dublin today. It's Slán go foil. Talk to you all soon. Bye-bye.
